Watching You
by BlackRoseVixen05
Summary: On a stormy night, Kurama grieves over his friend Kuronue's death. He thinks about the past and wishes things could have been different. An unknown figure begins to stalk him, and he soon gets the shock of his life.[[ON HOLD]]
1. Stormy Thoughts

BlackRoseVixen05: Hello, and thank you for joining me in another fanfic! For those of you who have read my other fic, do not fear! I shall be updating it again soon. But enough talk, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

_Chapter one_

The members of the Reikai Tentei had just returned home from a case one evening. They had been called to investigate a series of thefts in Spirit World. Though they searched high and low, they found not sign of the thief. After an entire day of searching, they finally gave up, and returned to Living World.

"Well, that's another day of my summer wasted. Damn cases…" Yusuke Urameshi, leader of the Reikai Tentei, or Spirit Detective Team complained.

"Don't sweat it, Urameshi. It's only one day, after all," Kazuma Kuwabara, Yusuke's best friend said.

"Heh, easy for you to say. All you do is sit around and play video games all day," Yusuke said, folding his arms behind his head. "I have things to do."

"Like what? All I've seen you do all summer is sleep, stuff your face, terrorize the arcade, and get bitch slapped by Keiko," said Xandra, another of Yusuke's school friends and a new addition to the team.

Yusuke found out that she had powers during a case two months ago. Xandra showed the power of light and dark magic. She could also ward off evil spirits using sutras. Koenma thought that her powers would prove useful on cases, and he decided to make her a Spirit Detective.

"Oh, lay off, Xanny. I don't see why I deserve to be tag teamed," Yusuke said, scowling.

"Only because if you didn't, the rest of us wouldn't have anyone to laugh at," Kurama, the Spirit Fox and ex-thief chimed in.

"Hn, other than Kuwabara, you mean," said Hiei, Fire apparition, and weilder of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame.

"Wait! What's that supposed to mean, Shorty!" Kuwabara bellowed, grabbing Hiei by the collar of his shirt.

"Will y'all knock it off!" yelled Xandra, stepping between the two. "We've been back in Living World for a total of twenty minutes, and you two are already fighting over nothing!"

"Yeah, whatever, but he started it," Kuwabara mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets, and marching ahead of the others. Hiei merely went "Hn" and disappeared from view.

"Ugh, men," Xandra sighed, turning to face Yusuke and Kurama, who both sweatdropped.

Yusuke and the others continued walking until they reached Xandra's house. "Well, this is my stop, you guys. See you later," she said, waving good-bye to the boys before entering her home.

They walked on, soon arriving at Kuwabara's house. "Later, guys. Call me tomorrow, Urameshi," Kuwabara called to Yusuke as he and Kurama walked on.

As they walked in silence, Kurama couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was following them. But since Yusuke didn't seem to notice anything, Kurama just shrugged it off as his imagination.

Soon enough, they reached Yusuke's apartment, and the two parted ways. Kurama waved good-bye to Yusuke and continued home.

The street was dark, and no one was out. It could easily make someone very paranoid. These facts were not helping at all, owing to the fact Kurama still felt as though he was being followed.

Within fifteen minutes, Kurama reached his home. The house was dark and locked up tight. His stepbrother was away at camp. And his mother and stepfather had left today, going to visit family. He had the whole house to himself.

'Yippee,' Kurama thought sarcastically.

Actually, Kurama didn't really like being home alone. He wasn't scared, but he just didn't enjoy it. But tonight, he didn't really have a choice. Sighing, he stepped closer to the door and fiddled through his pockets, trying to locate his house keys.

Finding his keys, he froze to a stop when he heard a rustling in the tree next to the driveway. Gasping lightly, Kurama turned to look at the tree. He saw something black dash out of the tree, and seemingly onto the roof of the house, though he could hear no footsteps.

"Hiei?" Kurama called out.

There was no answer.

"Hiei, is that you?" he called again, backing away from the house to get a better view of the roof. Nothing was there.

"I know I saw something," he said to no one in particular, making his way back to the front door. He unlocked the door and entered his human home, still feeling slightly unnerved by whatever that had been outside.

He hung his jacket on the coat rack and slipped off his shoes. Switching on the light in the hallway, he walked to the kitchen. Suddenly feeling thirsty, Kurama poured a glass of water and then made his way to the living room, which was still dark.

Not bothering to turn on the lights, Kurama sat the glass of water down on the coffeetable as he picked up the remote. Sitting down on the couch, he swung his legs around, letting them rest comfortably on the couch as well. He sighed once again, and switched on the T.V. He flipped through the channels, briefly stopping to glance at a soap opera before continuing to rapidly change the channels.

As he continued to channel surf, his mind wandered back to what had happened outside. He thought maybe it really _was _his imagination, but it he knew it wasn't. He thought it might have been Hiei, judging by how fast it moved. But whatever it was too tall to be Hiei. Though it was moving fast, he managed to see that.

Kurama was snapped out of his thoughts when the sound of thunder crashed outside, making him jump in surprise. Turning his attention to the glass patio door, Kurama saw flashes of lightning streaking the night sky. A few moments later, rain began to pour.

Kurama stood from his seat on the couch and returned his now empty glass to the kitchen. As he entered the kitchen, he noticed the note on the table for the first time. He picked it up and read it, seeing that it was from his mother.

"Dear, Suichi, your father and I will only be gone for three days. Please look after the house and make sure to answer the phone if it rings. If anything goes wrong, you know how to reach us. See you soon. Your loving mother, Shiori."

With a soft smile of his lips, Kurama refolded the letter and placed it back on the table. He then returned to the living room, picked up the remote and switched the channel to the news. He was curious as to how long the storm would last.

As the forecast appeared on the T.V. screen, he got his answer. The storm was said to last until tomorrow morning, meaning it would probably be raining all night. With another sigh, Kurama switched the T.V. off.

Turning off the rest of the lights, Kurama headed upstairs toward his bedroom. He figured that he might as well turn in, though he wasn't very tired. He thought maybe since it was storming, perhaps Hiei would stop by. But he didn't get his hopes up.

Entering his bedroom, the kitsune switched on the small lamp next to his bed and slipped out of his day clothes. Putting on some loose sweat pants and a T-shirt with no sleeves, Kurama sat down on his bed and looked down at his hands.

After a few minutes, he turned off the lamp and leaned back onto his bed. He was lying on top of the covers with his arms folded comfortably behind his head. More lightning streaked the sky outside the glass balcony door of his room. It was followed by another crash of thunder, and more heavy rainfall.

Rolling onto his side, Kurama cringed a bit when another flash of lightning lit up the sky. Kurama stared out into the storm. His acid green eyes seemed to glow as they watched the lightning dance.

Truthfully, Kurama disliked nights like this. They always made him feel sad and alone. Even back in his Yoko days, he didn't really care for rainy weather. The reference of his past life, caused him to think of someone he hadn't thought of in years…

"Kuronue…" Kurama whispered out loud.

The thought of his deceased partner saddened him, and he lowered his gaze to the floor. Even though he too was nearly killed by that bounty hunter in the Makai, he hadn't fully gotten over the bat demon's death. Kurama was caught a week after Kuro's death. He hadn't had the time to bring it to terms.

Kurama remembered that day had started out normal, but then took a turn for the worst. Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and allowed the memory of that day to flood his mind.

_Flashback_

"Yoko, wake up." Nudge.

"Nhhn…"

"Oh, c'mon, wake up." Nudge.

"Nhn!"

A sigh came from the bat demon who, despite his efforts, couldn't seem to awaken his partner, Yoko Kurama.

"Okay, you have forced me to take drastic measures." Kuronue, the bat demon said to his partner, though he was ignored was once again.

This kind of thing happened just about everyday, and everyday, Kuronue would come up with a new way of getting his foxy companion out of bed.

Kuronue picked up a pillow from the fox's bed, placed it over his sleeping partners' face and held it there. He knew that the fox would have to breathe sooner or later. He was right. Soon, the bat demon found himself being flung clear across the den.

"What in the seven hells were you trying to do, you moron!" bitched the angry kitsune, still gasping for air, "I could have died!" The kistune then proceeded to throw pillows at the bat demon.

"Well, if you got out of bed at a normal hour, I might not have had to do that!" yelled Kuronue, dodging the barrage of pillows being thrown at him.

Finally running out of pillows, the kitsune leaned back on his hands, and scowled. "Feh, whatever," he mumbled, stepping out of bed.

As the fox got dressed, Kuronue pushed himself off the floor, and headed towards the entrance of the den. Kuronue didn't have to tell the fox where he was going, because he knew he was going to ask anyway. And, once again, he was right.

"Where are you going?" the kitsune asked, running a comb through his silver hair.

"Lake," was Kuronue's simple reply as he exited the den. As he stepped out into the forest, he sighed and looked around. The forest was quiet, and it was a nice day. It made him feel calm, even after his words with the fox.

It didn't take him long to reach the lake. He ran there and then dropped to his knees when he reached the edge of the riverbank.

He cupped his hand and lifted water to his mouth to drink. He then removed his hat and began to splash his face with water. Suddenly feeling pressure being applied on his back, he yelped as he was pushed fully into the water.

Returning to the surface, Kuronue saw Yoko, standing where he had just been. Yoko smirked.

"You really shouldn't let you're guard down, Kuro." Yoko chuckled.

Kuronue stuck his tongue out at his friend, and dived back under the water. After his chuckling ceased, Yoko stared down at the water, waiting for Kuro to surface again.

At least seven minutes had passed and the bat demon had yet to resurface. Dropping to his knees, Yoko scanned the water for his friend, and found no trace of him.

"Kuro?" Yoko asked, beginning to worry.

Kuronue watched Yoko from beneath the water, smirking as he successfully lured the kitsune into his trap. As the fox leaned closer to the water, Kuro resurfaced at just the right moment, grabbed the kitsune by his shoulders and pulled him into the water as well.

Gasping, Yoko quickly clawed his way back out of the water, glaring daggers at the laughing bat.

"Kuro! You winged idiot! That's not funny!" the fox whined, still glaring.

"No reason to get mad, Fox. You started it," Kuronue said, splashing water at Yoko and getting him wet again.

Yoko growled at his partner as he dove into the water again, tackling the bat underwater again. Once the two resurfaced, they began a splashing war.

To escape Kuronue's splashing, Yoko dove under water, coming up behind Kuro. The fox then, grabbed Kuronue's shoulders, pushing his head under water. As Kuronue recovered from his sudden submerge, he noticed that Yoko was now on the bank again.

The bat demon's face suddenly changed from carefree laughter to pure panic at what he saw. The kitsune was holding his hat and was grinning widely.

"Yoko, put that down." Kuronue said, watching the kitsune closely.

"Nah, I think I'll hold onto it for a while. After all, finders keepers." The fox taunted, twirling Kuro's hat on his index finger.

"Fox, I'm not playing. Give me my hat. Now!" the bat demon said through clenched teeth. But the fox demon ignored him.

"Why do you were this thing anyway? It looks like it's about to fall apart," the fox said, eyeing the hat closer.

"Yoko, I'm not kidding. I demand that you return my hat—NOW!" the bat demon screeched while getting out of the water.

"No, Kuro. Get yourself a new hat. I'm going to burn this one." Said the fox, turning on his heel and beginning to run, knowing that Kuro would chase him.

"Stupid fox." The bat said, taking off after Yoko.

It wasn't long before Kuro caught up with Yoko and tackled him to the ground. The two demons then began to wrestle, though Kuro was mainly trying to retrieve his hat.

The wrestling match lasted a good twenty minutes before both demons were laid out on the ground, trying to catch their breaths. Yoko sat up and smiled at his partner, who was still laying on the ground, glaring at him.

"Here," the fox said, handing the hat over.

Smiling lightly, Kuro sat up, and took back his hat. He placed it back on his head, pulling his still damp ponytail through the hole in the top, and tilting it sideways so it would hide his right eye.

"Thanks." He said quietly, leaning back on the grass again.

"Hey, Kuro?" came Yoko's voice.

Kuronue noticed that his friends' voice held a serious, yet depressed tone. He turned to look at the fox, and saw the he was looking down at the ground.

"Yes?" the bat answered after a moment.

"You're my best friend, right?"

Kuro stared at him for a moment and raised an eyebrow.

"I should hope," Kuro said, blinking.

"And…you don't really mind me sleeping late, do you?" Yoko asked, looking at him.

Kuro did an anime fall.

"I'm serious, Kuro," he said, frowning slightly. "'Cause if it bothers you I'll stop."

Kuro sat up and smiled at his friend. "Nah, it's okay," he said.

"You sure?" Yoko asked.

"Yeah. And actually, the only reason I make you get up is because it gets boring being awake all alone," Kuro said almost sadly, looking down at the grass.

Yoko felt his ears droop at this. He didn't know that his sleeping in was causing the bat demon to feel lonely.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I'll make it a habit of getting up with you more often, okay?"

Kuro smiled at him. "Thanks," he said, reaching up to play with one of Yoko's fuzzy fox ears.

Yoko chuckled, twitching the ear Kuro was currently playing with. The fox then stood up and offered his bat-like partner a hand. The komouri took his friend's hand and stood up next to him.

"Come on, we have a job tonight. Better get ready," said Yoko, dusting himself off. The komouri merely nodded in agreement.

"You really _are_ my best friend, ya know," Yoko said and gave a slight smile before walked back to the den. Kuro smiled.

"I know," Kuro whispered as he watched the kitsune walk away. With a short laugh, the bat demon followed after his friend, not knowing that this would be the last heist they would ever go on together.

_Later That Evening_

Successful in their heist, the two demon thieves could be seen escaping into the bamboo forest outside the palace they had just robbed.

They were both smirking, proud of themselves for such a flawless heist. They could hear the palace guard behind them, yelling and cursing at them to 'halt'.

The two thieves glanced at each other, each giving the other a cocky smile. They were far ahead of the guards and were almost in the clear. But then, something terrible happened.

Suddenly, the chain of Kuronue's pendant snapped, falling to the ground behind them. Gasping, Kuronue jumped against a bamboo pole, using it to propel himself back in the other direction.

Upon seeing this, Yoko's eyes widened, and he skidded to a stop. He watched in utter shock as his friend ran back for his beloved pendant. Yoko had seen the pendant chain break, but he hadn't said anything, hoping Kuro would just let it go. No such luck.

"Kuronue, what are you doing! Just leave it!" Yoko called to his friend.

"No! I need it!" Kuro yelled back.

Finally, Kuro reached the spot where his necklace had fallen. But just as he was about to pick it up, he yelled in pain as he felt something sharp impale his left shin.

"Kuronue!" Yoko yelled, going back to help his friend.

"No! Stay there! Don't come any closer! There might be other traps!" Kuro yelled to Yoko, who stopped in his tracks.

Kuro, now on the ground, began to try and push himself up again, but froze when he felt several more sharp objects pierce his body.

Watching the whole thing from where he had stopped, Yoko's eyes widened in horror.

"Kuro! No!" he yelled, once again going to help.

In no time, he was by his friend's side. He gasped when he got a clear view of his friend's injuries from the trap. There was a spear in his left shin, his right thigh, his right shoulder, and at least two in each wing.

Yoko dropped to his knees, and yanked the spear from Kuro's shoulder, making the bat demon wince and groan loudly.

"Kuro, hold on, I'm going get you out of here," he said, preparing to remove one of the spears from Kuro's left wing. Suddenly, just as he was about to pull the spear out, Kuro's hand caught his wrist, stopping him.

"Kuro…?" Yoko asked, looking down at his partners' pale and pain-ridden face.

"Leave it. I'm done. But you can still get away. You have to go." Kuro said in a low voice.

"Shut up! Don't you even say that. I'm not going to leave you here," Yoko said, trying to help his friend back to his feet. Yoko knew that the guards would be upon them soon. He had to hurry.

"Damn it, Yoko, just forget about me! Now, get out of here!" Kuro yelled, pushing Yoko away as he tried to help him up.

"But, Kuro…," Yoko pleaded, the feeling of tears stinging at his eyes.

Kuro just smiled, reaching up to play with one of Yoko's fox ears. He could hear the footsteps as the guards drew nearer.

"Go, fox, run away. And be careful, okay?" Kuro said softly.

"Okay…" Yoko whispered as a tear ran down his face.

Standing up, Yoko glanced once more at his dying friend, another tear making its way down his face. Kuro returned the glance, giving his partner another soft smile, as if saying 'It's okay'. Yoko smiled back at his friend, then left with a soft whisper of, 'good-bye'.

"Bye…" Kuro whispered, watching as his friend disappeared into the forest. Kuro closed his eyes as the guards reached him.

He opened his eyes slightly. His vision was blurred, but he could see the palace guards standing above him, all of them holding weapons. His eyes fell on one guard standing next to him, holding an axe. The demon raised the axe above its head, looking down at Kuro with wicked eyes.

Kuro closed his eyes again. He knew that he would surely die now. But the only thought that ran through his mind as the demon aimed the ax at his throat was, 'Yoko, be safe.'

_With Yoko_

As he continued to flee from the bamboo forest, the strong scent of Kuro's blood flooded the air around him. He knew that his friend had been killed. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the tears that refused to go away. It took all he had to keep from turning around, but he did as Kuro wished, and kept running.

By the time he made it back to the den, the clouds had grown darker and thunder crashed in the sky. He made it inside the den just as rain began to fall.

Yoko walked inside the dark and empty den. He leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. He looked down at the golden mirror in his hands. At this point, he didn't even want it anymore. If he had known that the price of obtaining this mirror would be the life of his best friend, he never would have stolen it.

Standing, he placed the mirror on the small table next to his bed. He then walked to the entrance of the den, and looked out at the storm. He sat down, pulled his knees up to his chest, and wrapped his tail around his legs. Sighing, he buried his face in his arms, and openly wept.

"Kuronue…I'm sorry," he whispered.

That night was the first time in all of his threehundred years of living, that he ever cried himself to sleep.

_End Flashback_

By the time Kurama opened his eyes again, hot tears were streaming down his face. He rose into a sitting position, and wiped away some of his tears, though they continued to fall. The fact that Kuronue died on a stormy night was one reason Kurama didn't like nights like this.

That memory, though sometimes he would try and block it, would always manage to make its way into his mind. He missed Kuronue everyday since then, and he still did. He blamed himself for what happened. He thought that maybe if he hadn't been so greedy back then, Kuronue would still be alive.

Getting out of bed, Kurama made his way over to his dresser. He pulled open one of the drawers and took something out. He then walked back to his bed and sat down again.

Though his tears of regret were still falling, he smiled down at the object in his hands, Kuro's hat. The same hat that he used to tease Kuro about, the same hat that Kuro chased him for that day, the same hat that made Kuro who he was. He never went anywhere without it. And now, it was all Kurama had left of him.

Kurama had gone back to the spot where Kuro was caught the next day. He thought that he would at least give his friend a proper burial, since he wasn't able to save him. But when he got there, all he found was his partner's hat.

After that, he began to search the Makai, in hopes that maybe Kuro was still alive, but his search was cut short when he was cornered by that bounty hunter.

Hugging the hat closer to his body, Kurama's sobs became more pronounced. His shut his eyes tightly as another flash of lightning streaked the sky. Opening his eyes again, he looked down at the hat once more.

But suddenly, as another streak of lightning lit up his room, Kurama gasped when he saw a shadow on the wall. Turning towards his window, he saw the same cloaked figure as earlier. It was standing on the balcony, watching him.

But when the figure knew that Kurama had seen it, it leaped away, just like before. Kurama got up from his bed and ran out onto the balcony. The fact that it was still raining didn't stop him. He looked around frantically, trying to see the figure anywhere.

Alas, there was no sign of it. Sighing quietly, Kurama quickly re-entered his bedroom, closing and locking the balcony door behind him. Since he was still a little shaken by the sight of the stranger, Kurama decided to pull the blinds as well.

Returning to his bed, Kurama placed Kuro's hat next to his pillow, and snuggled under his covers. He gripped his friend's hat tightly with his hand, trying to shake his renewed feeling of uneasiness. Thankfully, he soon calmed down, and drifted into the peaceful world of sleep.

_Outside_

Across the street from Kurama's home, a pair of deep blue eyes were steadily watching the kitsune's bedroom window. It stood out of its crouched position, its long black cloak covering its being.

As the strange figure disappeared into the night, one question rang in its mind, 'Fox, is that really you?'

_End of Chapter One_

BlackRoseVixen05: Well, there's the first chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter shall follow soon. So, I'll see you next time. Until then, R&R!


	2. A Dusty Picture

BlackRoseVixen05: Hello, and welcome to the second chapter of "Watching You". A big thank you to all who reviewed. You're the ones who made this chapter possible. And now, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

_Chapter Two_

The next morning, Kurama awoke to the sound of someone knocking on the front door. He rolled onto his side and covered his head with his pillow, hoping that whoever it was would just go away.

After five minutes, Kurama realized that this person was very persistent. Groaning, Kurama stepped out of bed, and headed downstairs.

"Kurama! I know you're in there! Hurry up, would ya!" the unmistakable voice of Yusuke yelled.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming," Kurama said, opening the door.

"Sure took your time, Fox-boy. What were you doing in there?" Yusuke asked.

"Well, I _was_ sleeping," Kurama answered, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Jeez, I can see someone's not a morning person," Yusuke mumbled.

"Is there something I can help you with, Yusuke?" Kurama asked, his patience beginning to run thin.

"Yeah, I came to tell you that Koenma wants us at Genkai's temple in an hour. He said he wanted to talk to us about something. I tried to call and tell you, but you didn't answer," Yusuke said.

"Oh? That's strange. I didn't even hear the phone," Kurama said, running his hand through his slightly tangled hair. "But I suppose it doesn't matter. Thank you for telling me. Would you like to come in? It'll only take me a moment to get ready."

"Sure, thanks," Yusuke said with his usual cocky grin.

Kurama smiled as he stepped aside so that Yusuke could enter his home. Kurama closed the door and turned to go upstairs. Before he reached the stairs, Kurama stole a quick glance at the clock sitting on the living room table.

'9:30am? Hmm, something really must be up if Koenma needs us again so soon,' Kurama thought, remembering that they had just returned from a mission the day before.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Kurama?" Yusuke asked, noticing his friend's thoughtful expression.

"Oh, it's nothing, Yusuke. Just thinking," Kurama said with a slight smile. Yusuke just shrugged and followed the kitsune upstairs.

They entered Kurama's room a few moments later. He opened the door to his room and headed towards the bathroom.

"Make yourself comfortable, Yusuke. I won't be long," the kitsune said from inside the bathroom.

"'Kay, thanks," Yusuke mumbled, knowing the fox would be able to hear him.

Yusuke sat down on the fox's bed, resting his head on his fist, waiting for him to get dressed. Glancing around Kurama's room, his eyes fell to something on the bed next to him. It was an old black hat. He picked it up and looked at it curiously.

'Surely this isn't Kurama's,' he thought was a slight chuckle.

He shrugged and put the hat down again. He then stood and began walk circles around the fox's room. He stopped briefly to look at the pictures on the dresser. There was one of Kurama and his human Mother, one of Kurama with his stepbrother, and several other family photos.

He was about to walk away when a picture at the back of the shelf caught his eye. Since it was sitting behind all the other photos, he couldn't get a good look at it. But his curiosity soon got the better of him and he slowly reached for it.

He picked up the photo and gently brushed away the thin layer of dust that covered the image. When the dust was cleared, Yusuke eyed the picture strangely.

It was a sketch of Kurama in his demon form. He was sitting in a beautiful grassy meadow, leaning again an exotic-looking tree. His arms were folded comfortably behind his head and his tail was rested on his lap. His golden eyes were closed and there was small smile on his face.

This was the first time Yusuke had ever seen Kurama's demon form looking so…innocent. But this wasn't the only thing that confused him. What he was most curious about was the second demon in the photo. The demon who was lying on the ground next to Kurama.

The demon was lying on its stomach. His eyes were also closed, and his arms were folded underneath his head like a cushion. The demon had pale skin and long black hair. It was dressed in all black and gray. He had a silver necklace with a ruby in the center. It also had long pointed ears and two large bat-like wings on its back.

'I wonder who that is?' Yusuke thought, tilting his head to the side. 'Maybe he was friends with Kurama back then…'

Yusuke took a closer look at the demon. There was something familiar about him. Yusuke then noticed the hat the demon was wearing. He turned and looked at the hat on the bed, then back at the one worn by the demon. They were the same.

'Wow, that's odd,' he thought again.

Yusuke snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the bathroom door open. He turned to see Kurama re-entering the room. The fox was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white button-up shirt. He was currently brushing his hair and giving Yusuke an odd look.

"What are you doing?" Kurama asked, once again running the brush through his hair.

"Oh, uh, nothing. Just, uh, ya know, lookin' around," Yusuke said with a nervous chuckle. He didn't want to seem like he was snooping, although he was. But he didn't want Kurama to know that. So, he quickly returned the picture to its original spot on the shelf.

"You like the picture? I drew it myself," Kurama said with a smile.

"Wow, you drew that? It's cool," Yusuke said, grinning.

"Thanks," Kurama said, his smile turning slightly sad.

"Um, who's that in the picture with you?" Yusuke asked, pointing to the dark-clad demon.

"Oh, that's an old friend of mine. His name is Kuronue," Kurama said, shifting his gaze to the floor.

"Oh, I had a hunch he probably was. And, uh, isn't that his hat?" he asked, motioning to the hat on the bed.

"Yes, he wore this silly thing everywhere," Kurama said, picking up the hat and placing it on the bookshelf next to his bed.

"So…where is he?" Yusuke asked, hoping he wasn't asking a question he would regret later. He noticed Kurama inhale and exhale slowly and he knew that he probably had.

"He died…a long time ago," Kurama said, his voice quiet and sad.

"Oh,…sorry," Yusuke whispered, feeling guilty for asking.

"It's alright, Yusuke. You have nothing to be sorry for. I just wish I could have…" Kurama trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

"Kurama…" Yusuke said, reaching out to touch his friend's shoulder.

"Heh, it's nothing, Yusuke. So, are you ready to go?" Kurama said, putting on a fake smile.

Yusuke easily saw through the fox's smile, but he decided to keep his mouth shut this time. He also noticed that, even though the fox was smiling, his eyes were full of unshed tears.

Kurama put his hairbrush down on the dresser and quickly walked past Yusuke. He watched as Kurama left the room, listening as the fox made his way down the staircase.

Sighing, Yusuke took another glance at the picture before exiting the room as well. He hadn't meant to upset Kurama. He thought maybe he should apologize, but something told him that for now, he should just shut up and stay shut.

The two left Kurama's house a few minutes later. They traveled to Genkai's temple in silence. Yusuke thought it was probably best. Kurama walked next to Yusuke, hands in his pockets, and his head hanging low.

For some reason, Kurama just couldn't get Kuronue off his mind. He wished he knew why. Perhaps Kuronue's spirit was trying to tell him something. Kurama's thoughts were interrupted as a rustle in the treetops caught his attention.

He looked up quickly, but saw nothing. His eye narrowed dangerously as he knew what it was. His mind then shifted back to the mysterious stranger from last night. Who was he? Why was he following him? And most importantly, what did he want?

"What's the matter? Did you see something?" Yusuke asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, Yusuke. Just…my imagination," the fox said, walking ahead of the spirit detective.

Yusuke quirked an eyebrow before following after the redhead. As he walked away, Yusuke glanced over his shoulder, looking back at the tree. But he too, saw nothing. So, he just shrugged if off. He had other things to worry about right now. Like why Koenma was calling this meeting at Genkai's.

'What does that little brat want now?' Yusuke wondered.

_In the Treetops_

From the top of a high tree, the same cloaked figure watched as Kurama and Yusuke made their way down the sidewalk. The figure leaped from its branch and flitted off after them.

'We'll meet again soon, Fox. I promise.'

_End of Chapter Two_

BlackRoseVixen05: Well, there you have it, folks. Chapter two. I hope you enjoyed it. And just so you know, I will need three or more reviews before I update again. So, please, don't let this fic die. R&R!


	3. New Mission

BlackRoseVixen05: Hello, and welcome to the third chapter of "Watching You". Thanks to all who reviewed. Thank you for keeping my fic alive. And now, on with the fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

_Chapter Three_

After walking for at least twenty minutes, Yusuke and Kurama found themselves at the staircase to Genkai's temple. Yusuke scowled at the massive tower of steps. He'd always hated them. Or rather, he hated climbing them.

Kurama noticed Yusuke's scowl and he couldn't help but chuckle. Yusuke would never change. Kurama walked ahead of the Spirit Detective and started up the stairs. Yusuke sighed deeply and soon followed suit.

Halfway up the stairs, Kuwabara's voice caused the two to pause. They turned to see Kuwabara and Xandra running up the stairs behind them. Both Yusuke and Kurama stopped to wait for the other Spirit Detectives to catch up to them.

"H-hey there, Urameshi," Kuwabara panted as he and Xandra finally caught up.

"Yo, guys," said Xandra, who wasn't out of breath at all.

"'Bout time you guys got here. What kept ya?" Yusuke asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Well, heh heh, it's a pretty long story, ya know…" Kuwabara said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, actually, Yusuke…" started Xandra, stepping in front of Kuwabara, "Kuwabara was supposed to meet me outside of his house after I told him about the meeting. It took me all of forty-five minutes to get there, and yet when I arrived, he was nowhere to be found," she tattled.

"And just where were you?" Yusuke asked Kuwabara. Kuwabara chuckled nervously and mumbled something.

"What? I didn't quite catch that," Yusuke said, grinning.

"I was in the bathroom, okay!" Kuwabara yelled.

At this, Yusuke broke into wild laughter. Kurama tried desperately not to laugh, and Xandra merely chuckled. Kuwabara blushed and turned away from his friends.

"It wasn't that funny," he mumbled as he stomped past the others and continued up the stairs.

Getting their laughter under control, Yusuke and the others followed after Kuwabara. Soon, they made to the top of the stairs and reached the temple.

As they approached, they found Genkai sitting on her front porch talking to Koenma, who was proudly sporting his teenage form. Botan was there also. When she saw them, she squealed loudly and ran to greet each of them.

"About time you brats showed up. Any longer and I might have died," Genkai "greeted", crossing her arms.

"Heh, nice to see you too, ol'lady," Yusuke said, smirking playfully.

"Enough with the social pleasantries. We have a serious problem. Let's go inside and I'll explain," Koenma said, walking through the temple doors. Genkai followed, as did Yusuke and the others. They all took seats on the floor and just as Koenma was about to speak, Xandra spoke up first.

"Hey, does anyone know where Hiei is? I mean, shouldn't he be here?" she said.

"I am here," said a voice from the corner.

All eyes turned to the left side of the room, and sure enough, there stood Hiei. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded in his usual laidback fashion.

"Well? What did you call us for?" Hiei asked, glaring at Koenma. The prince of Spirit World cleared his throat, preparing to explain.

"You see, lately, the demon world has been overrun with insects," he began.

"So? What's new?" said Yusuke, dryly.

"These insects are quite different from the ones we saw on the Sensui case, Yusuke. They're like mutants. They are running wild in Demon World and some have even crossed into Spirit World. We, in Spirit World, think some might have even come here," Koenma said.

"But if there were, we'd be able to sense them, right?" Xandra asked.

"Ya know, I did sense a faint trace of demon energy last night," Kuwabara said, scratching his head.

"You did? Where?" asked Yusuke.

"I think it was comin' from the park, but I'm not sure," Kuwabara said.

"Yusuke, why don't you and the others go take a look in the park, just to be safe?" Koenma suggested. Yusuke nodded in agreement.

"Right, let's go, guys," Yusuke said, standing from his seat and dashing out of the temple, followed closely by Kuwabara and Xandra. Kurama was about to follow them, but stopped suddenly before he was completely out the door.

"Koenma, have you received anymore reports on the burglary we investigated yesterday?" Kurama asked, glancing behind him to look at Koenma. The demigod shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. No reports have been turned in as of yet," he informed. "We never even found out what was stolen. Hopefully something will turn up soon. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," was Kurama's reply before exiting. He quickly caught up with Yusuke and the others; they then proceeded to the park.

_In the Treetops_

The cloaked figure had listened as Koenma talked with the spirit detectives. Its pointed ears twitched with curiosity as their conversation drew to a close.

'Insects?' it wondered, taking off after the group as they left the temple.

_At the Park_

As Yusuke and company arrived at the park, he ordered a spread and search. Each person went to a different part of the park to look for anything strange. If anyone happened to find anything, they were to signal the others with the communication watches given to them by Botan. Besides being two-way radios, they also had a built in tracer.

Kurama split from the group and went to search the western part of the forest. From what he could see, everything was normal. He was about to report back to the group when his sensitive ears heard the faint sound of buzzing.

Turning swiftly, Kurama extracted his rose whip, lashing it to his left. The buzzing stopped, and a small preying mantis-like Makai insect fell to the ground. Its body had been sliced in half, but its wings, legs, and pincers still twitched with life. After a few moments, the bug's twitching ceased and it died.

Kurama carefully picked up the insect and examined it closely before tossing it aside. He looked off in the direction the bug was flying and wondered if there were more. Giving his whip a slight squeeze, he dashed off in the direction the bug was headed.

As he ran in the direction of the bug, he noticed several more small insects flying ahead of him. His emerald eyes narrowed as he followed them. He trailed the bugs until he found himself inside a thickly wooded area of the forest. He slowed his run to a jog as he searched for the insects. He had somehow lost sight of them.

He stopped to look around for a moment, trying figure out where they had gone. From above, a faint hissing and clicking sound caused him to look up. Kurama's eyes widened as he saw four sets of eyes looking down at him.

He quickly jumped out of the way as four massive preying mantis demons leaped from the treetops. They hissed and snarled ferociously at the kitsune. A light smirk crossed Kurama's face as he switched on his tracer watch. He knew he would have to hold off the bugs until Yusuke and the others got there, but that shouldn't be too difficult.

One of the bugs charged at Kurama, trying to grab him with its pincers. Kurama easily dodged and tried to use his rose whip to slice the demon insect in two. But to his shock, the whip just bounced off its shell. Kurama quickly realized what he had done wrong. If he wanted to kill the beast, he would have to slice it where the shells of its segmented body connected.

Coming to terms with his mistake, the kitsune issued a fatal blow to the demon, cutting its large body in half. The fox smirked again as the insect screeched and fell to the ground. He then turned to face the other three insects that were circling him. A sudden movement behind him made the fox turn to face the first demon's corpse.

The front half of the demon was still very much alive. It pushed itself up with its scythe-like claws and as the fox drew his whip again, the insect knocked him to the ground. Upon impact with the demon's claw, the kitsune winced as the smaller spines cut into his skin.

He fell to the ground, clutching his chest in pain. The mantis demon once again raised its claw to finish the fox. As the beast swung its giant claw downward, Kurama closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to come. But it never did. He opened his eyes to see that the mantis had been sliced down the middle of its skull.

"But how…?" the fox whispered.

Kurama's eyes then fell upon his savior. Behind the dead demon's body, stood the stranger he had seen the night before. The kitsune quickly got to his feet, not knowing what else the stranger had planned. A snarling sound caught both Kurama's and the stranger's attention as the insects began to circle them. Kurama looked away from the insects for a moment to glance at the stranger again.

"Who are you? Why did you save me?" Kurama asked, his voice holding a slightly cold tone.

And then, for the first time, the stranger's eyes locked with Kurama's. Deep indigo bore into emerald green, as if searching for something. The stranger's face was still hidden by shadows, but his eyes were in clear view. The stranger said nothing, but his stare was unwavering.

'Those eyes…' Kurama thought. 'I know those eyes…'

"Kurama!" Yusuke's voice called.

Kurama turned around to see Yusuke and the rest running towards him. He turned back to where the stranger was standing, but he wasn't there anymore. Kurama looked around the treetops, but couldn't see the stranger anywhere. With a sigh, Kurama went to join the others in battle.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were fighting one mantis together while Hiei and Xandra each fought one. Xandra manifested three sutras in each of her hands and was about to finish off the mantis demon. As Kurama rejoined the fight, the mantis Xandra was fought ran away from her and began to attack Kurama.

"What the…?" Xandra said, blinking.

The mantis rapidly swung its giant claws at Kurama, who dodged. The fox so busy dodging attacks that he didn't notice that the mantis Hiei was fought approached him from behind. For some reason, each mantis was going after Kurama. They didn't seem to be too concerned with anyone else.

As Kurama continued to swiftly dodge the constant attacks, Xandra tossed her sutras at one of the demons. The sutras attached to the demon's forehead and it began to thrash and flail, trying to get them off. Moments later, the demon, unsuccessful in getting rid of the sutras, burst into flames.

The mantis stumbled around, shrieking in pain from the flames. While flailing, it accidentally crashed into another mantis, causing it to catch fire as well. The two insects soon fell to the ground in an ashy heap. Now, only one remained. Yusuke smirked at this.

"I'll take care of this," he said, aiming his right pointer finger at the beast. Once enough energy was charged into the tip of his finger, Yusuke fired his famous Spirit Gun at the mantis. The demon could do nothing to block and its entire upper body was blown away.

What was left of the demon's body fell to the ground with a loud thud. Yusuke grinned and blew the smoke away from his finger, as if it were an actual gun. Xandra used her dispelling sutras to dispose of the corpses and the job was done…for now.

_A Short Time Later_

After the gang reported back to Koenma, it was time to call it a day. The friends walked in silence for a long time until Yusuke spoke up.

"Hey, Kurama, why were those bugs after you?" he asked. Kurama looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.

"I'm not sure, Yusuke. It was strange," the kitsune replied.

"Well, I guess it's not important. What really matters is that now we know those bugs are here," Yusuke said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Yes, and that's not all…" Kurama mumbled, more to himself than to the others.

"You say something, Fox-boy?" asked Yusuke.

Kurama glanced behind him. In the distance, on top of a building, stood the cloaked stranger. Even from there, Kurama could see the stranger's indigo eyes watching him. The two stared for a moment before the figure disappeared again. Kurama turned to Yusuke and smiled slightly.

"No, nothing," the fox said quietly. His mind drifted back to meeting the stranger in the park. Why had the stranger saved him? And for some odd reason, Kurama couldn't help but feel as if he knew the strange person. It's just that…his eyes. Kurama knew them. Sighing softly, Kurama shook his head to clear his mind.

'Thank you, whoever you are,' Kurama thought, glancing behind him once more.

_The Rooftops_

From the rooftop of a near by house, a small, but genuine, smile graced the cloaked figure's pale face. He watched silently as Kurama and others disappeared around the corner of a building.

When they were out of view, the figure reached a pale hand up to remove the hood of its cloak. Long raven hair spilled from under the hood as it was pulled off. The figure raked its hand through the silky strands as they whipped around in the night breeze.

"You're welcome, Kurama. See you soon," he said, with his smile never leaving his face.

_End of Chapter Three_

BlackRoseVixen05: Whew! Well, there you have it, people. The third chapter. I hope you all liked it. And thanks again for reviewing the last one, but it's gonna take a little more this time. I will not be updating again until I have five or more reviews. Please do not let my fic die! Review!


	4. Seeing You Again

BlackRoseVixen05: Hiya, people. As always, welcome to the next chapter of "Watching You". Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time. And now, on with the fanfic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

_Chapter Four_

Kurama awoke the next morning to a loud ringing sound. The kitsune groaned sleepily as he stepped out of bed. Making his way across his room, he picked up his pocket communicator from his deck and flipped it open. Botan's face soon appeared on the once blank screen.

"Good morning, Kurama. Sleep well?" she said in her usual overly cheery tone.

"Yes, Botan. Thank you," Kurama replied, sweat-dropping.

"That's good, you'll be needing all your strength today. Koenma has an assignment for you and the others. He wants you all to meet him at the park in two hours. And don't worry, Yusuke and the rest have already been informed," Botan explained.

"Alright, Botan, I'll be there," he said, giving a reassuring nod.

"Great! Good luck," she giggled before disappearing. The screen went black and Kurama put away the communicator. Sighing softly, Kurama went to get dressed.

After getting dressed, the _kitsune_ did as he was told and left to meet the others in the park. He quickly reached his destination and found Yusuke and the rest of the group waiting for him.

Once they were all together, the team proceeded to the spot where they were assigned to meet with Koenma. The signal from their communication watches led them to the same spot where they had fought the demon mantises the day before.

The Spirit World prince stood waiting for them in the center of the thickly wooded area. As the _Reikei Tentei _approached, Koenma turned to face them.

"Good, you've arrived," he said, trying to sound serious.

"Yeah, so what's the problem now, Koenma? More insects?" Yusuke said curiously.

"Yes, more than ever. A large amount of insects have been detected trying to pass through to this world. I want you all to go and put a stop to their rampage. Or at least slow it down," Koenma informed as a portal opened next to him. "And…try not to get killed, will ya?"

"Heh, no worries," Yusuke said, giving Koenma a thumbs up. Yusuke motioned for the others to follow him as he jumped through the portal. As the last one disappeared through the rift, Koenma sighed as he vanished, heading back to Spirit World.

Once Koenma was gone, the portal began to slowly close. But unbeknownst to Koenma or the Spirit Detectives, a certain cloaked figure managed to slip into the portal after them.

_In Demon World_

Yusuke and the gang had just arrived in Demon World. As Koenma had said, there was indeed a large swarm of demon insects, all clamoring to try and get through the portal to Human World.

Yusuke, with the help of the others, were able to drive back the insects closest to the portal. After doing so, they split up to find and destroy the other insects scattered around the area.

As Kurama made his way deeper into a seemingly random forest, the scenery began to look strangely familiar. Though he felt like he had been here before, he couldn't quite remember when.

He abandoned his thoughts when a buzzing noise caught his attention. Remembering his last encounter with the bugs, Kurama looked to the treetops.

Sure enough, suspended on the branches of three trees, were large white cocoons. There were about four cocoons on each tree, and as if on cue, the cocoons began to shake and rumble.

The cocoons then started to make a cracking sound and small pieces of the white crusty shells fell to the ground. The cocoons then split open and out flew large wasp-like insects. Red and black stripes covered the insects' bodies, each of them approximately three feet in length.

The insects had six legs, two of which resembled long sickle-like claws. Their wings hummed as the insects floated menacingly in the air above the _kitsune_. Then, without warning, the insects swarmed him, all attacking at the same time.

Kurama gracefully dodged their attack by doing a back flip in the other direction, causing the wasps to collide with the ground. The _kitsune_ smirked at how sloppily the insects' attack formation was planned.

Kurama got back to his feet in time to dodge another attack. As the wasps circled around for another dive attack, it gave Kurama just enough time to reach for his communication mirror. But as he opened it to speak with the others, one of the wasps swooped down and knocked the mirror from his hands.

The mirror flew from the fox's grasp, landing in the bushes near by. He didn't have time to go and search for it, for the insects were attacking again. This time, more viciously. They blocked his path as he attempted to retrieve the mirror, making him veer off in the other direction. The bugs followed close behind, fully intent on catching him as he ran, no matter what.

Kurama then turned quickly, slashing at the wasps with his whip. He managed to cut one in two, though it tried to dodge. He killed off five more of the wasps the same way, being careful not to get too close. Now, only three insects were left, and Kurama knew he would have no trouble killing them as well.

That is…until he felt an agonizing pain in his right shoulder. With a groan of pain, the kitsune dropped to his knees, clutching his shoulder. One of the wasps had launched its stinger at him from behind, penetrating his shoulder. The stinger was easily the size of a steak knife and just as sharp.

Wincing, Kurama grabbed the stinger and yanked it out of his bleeding shoulder. He tossed it aside and got to his feet again. He dodged as all the insects began firing their stingers at him. Though his pace had slowed, Kurama continued to maneuver away from the bombardment of stingers. And, unfortunately, the wasps didn't appear as though they would be running out of ammo anytime soon.

Eventually, Kurama managed to destroy the rest of the insects. Having just killed the last one, Kurama fell to his knees again, panting. Shakily, he stood up and went to look for his communication mirror. He staggered as he walked, leaning against trees for support. He held his shoulder tightly as he stopped to catch his breath. Just that little walk made him feel like he had done a lap around Spirit World.

'What's wrong with me? I feel so dizzy…' Kurama thought.

His head was spinning and his vision began to blur. He then started to cough violently. He winced as his head began to pound. The fox covered his mouth as he was sent into another fit of coughing. Once his coughing began to lessen, he detected a certain metallic taste in his mouth. He looked down at the hand that covered his mouth and was shocked at what he saw…blood.

'Blood? But what could have…?' he thought, but then the answer hit him. 'The stinger! It…must have been…' he didn't get to finish his thought, for a sharp pain shot through his chest. His thoughts had indeed been correct. The stinger was poisoned. He gasped as he sat down on the ground. The hand that once clutched his shoulder was now gripping his chest.

He was now having trouble breathing and his lungs felt as though they were caving in. He hacked up more blood as he collapsed onto the ground. He gasped softly for breath as his vision faded more and more. He cursed himself for not realizing the stinger's poison before. Now he was really in trouble.

As his eyes began to close, Kurama felt strong arms lift him off the ground, holding him bridal style. Kurama glanced up, straining his eyes to see. To his shock, it was the stranger. He had once again come to Kurama's aid. The _kitsune_ rested his head against the stranger's chest, as the stranger darted away quickly.

"Hold on, Fox. I've got you," the stranger said, looking down at the weakened fox in his arms. Kurama eyes widened slightly as he heard the stranger's voice for the first time.

'That voice…' Kurama thought as he started to lose consciousness. 'It can't be…right?' That was his last thought before everything went black.

_Forest Enterance_

Yusuke and the others had rejoined each other and were waiting for Kurama. They had been waiting a half an hour, but the fox had yet to show up. The group was beginning to worry.

'Damn it, Kurama. Where are you?' Yusuke wondered, staring out into the forest.

_Somewhere Deep in the Forest_

Groaning quietly, Kurama slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and he looked at his surroundings. He was inside a large cave. A fire was lit in the center of the cave floor and he saw that it was now dark outside. He was lying on a soft mat placed on the cave floor and over him was a blanket made of lots of different furs.

Then a familiar pain in his shoulder caused him to wince. He looked down to see that his shirt was missing and that his wounded shoulder had been bandaged. Then a sudden movement to his left caught his attention and he jumped slightly.

It was the cloaked figure. He watched as the stranger stepped into the light, standing not too far from him, his back turned. Kurama decided to speak up, since the figure had yet to.

"Listen to me, I appreciate your help, but I demand to know who you are. I know you've been following me and I know you're not human. Why did you come to Human World? And why did you stalk me?" Kurama said in a some-what angered tone. But the stranger said nothing.

"Answer me! Why did you follow me?" Kurama half yelled. The stranger sighed then turned to face the kitsune.

"Very well. I'll tell you. Now's as good a time as any I suppose," the stranger said, almost nervously. Kurama held his breath as he waited for him to explain.

"I came to Human World in search of someone, someone very close to me. I looked and looked, but couldn't find them anywhere. Then, I saw you, and you reminded me so much of whom I was searching. But it wasn't like I could just walk up and ask. So, I began to follow you. To see if I could figure out who you really were," the stranger said, stepping closer to Kurama.

"I now know exactly who you are. You are whom I've searched for. You are Suichi Minamino, aka Yoko Kurama, aka The Legendary Bandit, and aka…my best friend…" the stranger said, his voice seeming to lighten at these words.

Kurama's eyes widened. Could this be? Was it possible? He then got his answer. The stranger reached a slender hand from under the cloak, grabbing it and tossing it aside. The stranger smiled warmly at Kurama, chuckling softly at the fox's expression.

Kurama's eyes widened more, and his body began to tremble with shock and disbelief. His heart even stopped beating for a brief moment. This just wasn't possible…

"Ku-Kuronue?" Kurama whispered, being granted another smile.

"Heh, long time no see, Fox," Kuro replied.

_End of Chapter Four_

BlackRoseVixen05: Yay! The chapter is done! But don't think that this is the end, people. No, no! There is much more to come. So, please, stay tuned! By the way, it's gonna take eight or more reviews this time. So please, please, please review! Don't let my ficcie die!


	5. The Truth, part 1

BlackRoseVixen05: Hello! Thank you once again for joining me in my newest chapter of "Watching You". A very BIG thank you going out to all who have reviewed. Without you, none of this could be possible. I love you guys! But enough talk, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

_Chapter Five_

Kurama stared in shock at the person standing before him. The friend he grew up with, the one who had stuck by him all those years, the one he thought he'd lost forever, was standing a mere foot from him. Kurama couldn't believe it. Kuronue looked exactly the same--same pale skin, same midnight hair, same everything. The only real difference was that his hair was out of its ponytail, hanging freely down his back. The kitsune continued to stare as another smile crossed the bat demon's face.

Kurama's wide eyes soon began to brim with tears as Kuro slowly walked toward him. It was really him. Kurama blinked back his tears and his once confused face was now filled with curiosity. His eyes locked with Kuronue's as the komouri sat down in front of him. Then finally, Kurama found his voice again.

"Kuro, how?" he whispered. The bat demon chuckled.

"I had a feeling you'd ask that. Still a curious fox, I see," Kuro said with a light grin. Kurama's expression didn't change. Kurama knew his partner meant well, but he felt like anything but jokes right now. Though Kuro always did have a habit of making jokes when Kurama was upset.

"Please, no jokes this time. How did you survive? Please tell me," Kurama said, anxiously. Kuronue sighed softly at his failed attempt to lighten the mood and nodded as he prepared to explain what had really happened. Then, an idea hit him.

"I can do better. I'll show you," Kuro said, placing two fingers against Kurama's forehead. His pendant started to glow as he began to project the memory into Kurama's mind.

_Flashback in Kuronue's POV_

I watched you flee from the forest as I lay on the ground. My whole body was in pain and I was losing a lot of blood. I then realized that the old saying was true. Your life really does flash before your eyes when you're about to die.

I saw it all… the village I grew up in, my clan, my family, my mother, the day our village burned, the day I met you and how we became best friends. I saw how we used to run and play in the forest, and how we promised we'd be friends forever.

I smiled bitterly as my memories subsided. After seeing all that again, I then realized how frightened I was. And how I really wasn't ready to die. I didn't want to die. I wanted to somehow magically spring to my feet and race after you. But I knew that wouldn't happen…not now.

Tears began to sting at my eyes as I glanced up at the demon holding an axe to my throat. I swallowed thickly and clutched my pendant tightly. I closed my eyes as the demon raised his axe. I knew that I would surely die.

'Yoko, take care, my friend…' I thought sadly.

"Halt!" I heard a female voice yell.

I opened my eyes to see that the demon holding the axe had backed off and a female demon was standing his place. Though she was quite beautiful, she looked down at me with sinister eyes that made me cringe.

"Take him to the castle," she told the demon guards.

Renewed pain suddenly surged through my entire body as the guards proceeded in yanking the bamboo spears from my still bleeding form. I groaned and yelled in pain and was barely conscious by the time they were done.

When the last spear was thrown aside, I was lifted off the ground and thrown over one of the demon's shoulders. I cursed as my hat fell off in the process. We followed the female demon out of the forest and back to the castle. The castle you and I had just finished robbing.

I was taken inside the massive palace and tossed inside a large, dark room that looked some-what like a jail cell. I weakly pushed myself into a sitting position and looked at my surroundings. There were two cells, mine and one more. I wasn't sure who was in the other one, and I didn't care at the time.

As I heard the door to the room lock, I sighed and leaned against the far back wall of my cell. I would have to be still if I wanted to heal. So, I closed my eyes and tried to relax as best I could.

'Fine mess you got yourself into, Kuro,' I thought to myself before falling asleep.

_Several Hours Later_

I awoke as the main door leading in and out of the room opened. I slowly inched out of the corner in order to see who had entered. It was one of the demon guards, along with the female demon from earlier. A clicking/rattling noise sounded from the back of my throat as they neared my cell. This was a noise I always made when trying to defend myself or to scare off enemies. You remember? However, it obviously didn't work on them.

"You, with the wings, you're coming with us," the female said as the large demon guard entered my cell. When I didn't move on my own, he grabbed me by my vest and pulled me to my feet. He pushed me out of the cell harshly and I stumbled forward. When I turned to face the demon guard, I felt the girl snap a metal collar around my neck.

I reached up to pull it off, but it burned my hand. I then noticed that the collar had a chain attached to it. I knew where this was going. And I was right. The guard picked up the chain and pulled on it – hard. I gagged and almost fell down, but quickly regained my footing.

As the two demons led me out of the room, I got a clear look at whom it was that currently shared my room. It was another female demon. She was an old jackal demon. Unlike most demons, who usually appeared more human, this old woman appeared to be more animal.

She wore a brown dress with a gray sweater tied around her shoulders. She had grayish-brown hair that was long and wavy. Her body was covered in a light fur coat that was also brownish gray in color. Her hands and feet were paw-like and the ends of her tail and ears had black tips.

The old woman was sitting on the floor with a wooden cane gripped tightly in her hands. She seemed to be meditating. I couldn't help wonder how long she'd been in this place. My thoughts were broken when the guard tugged on the chain again, hurrying me to keep up.

They led me down hallway after hallway inside the huge castle. We passed many cells and cages along the way, all holding demons captive, some alive and some appeared dead. And then, after I was sure we'd been walking for at least an hour, we arrived at two large black doors. While the doors were closed, I could make out the red pattern of a black widow spider.

I looked at the doors curiously as they began to open. The room following, much like the rest of the castle, was dark. Dimly lit by candles circling the ceiling, making a slight glow. At the far end of the room, there was a large black throne. I could easily see the person sitting on it. Hey, I'm a bat. I _can_ see in the dark.

The figure was a woman. She had pale skin, green eyes, and long black hair with red highlights. She was wearing a long black strapless and backless gown and black evening gloves. Her body was very curvy and sensual. She was, bluntly put, drop-dead gorgeous, but didn't look trustworthy.

"We brought the thief, milady," I heard the first female demon say.

"Well done, Neyla. And the other one?" the woman sitting on the throne asked.

"Forgive me, milady, but we were unable to catch the other," the female demon, now identified as Neyla said.

"Damn that fox. He always escapes…" the woman whispered. I glared at her hatefully as she spoke of you with such disrespect. Only I was allowed to do that.

"We did manage to catch the fox's partner, though, milady," Neyla said, motioning to me. The woman slowly stood from her seat and walked towards me. She stopped several feet away from me and seemed to be studying me closely. I ignored her, though. She then smiled at me with a combination of wickedness and seduction.

"Yes, this one _is _quite a catch, isn't he?" she chuckled and only earned herself a deeper glare from me. She reached out to touch my face, but pulled away as I let a low hissing snarl escaped my lips. Indeed I was chained, but I felt far from helpless. There just wasn't much I could do at the moment.

I saw that the woman was surprised by my action, but wasn't the least bit intimidated. I mentally cursed that fact. I then noticed she was speaking again.

"What is your name?" she asked me.

I said nothing and she sighed.

"Very well. Your name isn't really important anyway. However, I will tell you mine. I am Aleera Widow. Pleased to meet you," she said politely. All she got from me in return was another glare.

"Tell me something," she started, "Where has your friend Yoko gone to? I'm sure you know. You see, I've been after that fox for years, though he didn't know it. Every time I was sure he was mine, he managed to get away. You see my problem. But now that I have you, perhaps you could be of help," she finished.

So that was it; she was after Yoko. My frown deepened at this. I kept quiet, and I could tell it was pissing her off. She finally snapped and lifted her hand to strike my face. She stopped suddenly, just before her blow struck. She then gave me a wicked smile. She seemed impressed by the fact that I hadn't moved an inch. I didn't flinch or blink.

"You've got a lot of nerve. You know that?" she shrugged, folding her arms. "And don't think I'm giving up an you. You _will_ tell me where Yoko is."

"You assume so much, but know so little," I said calmly.

Her eyes widened slightly at my choice of words, then a cocky smirk appeared on her face.

"I'd say it was you who knows little," she said. "That is all, Neyla. Take him away."

"Yes, milady," Neyla said, bowing. They then led me out of the room and back to my cell. I walked inside and sat down on the cot located at the far end of the cell. I leaned my back against the wall and pulled my knee up to my chest, resting my arm on it.

I wondered where you were, and if you were okay. I hoped that you'd listened to me and got as far away from that place as possible. The last thing I wanted was for you to end up like me. I looked down at my pendant and frowned. If only I had kept running. I felt foolish running back to get such a cheap/valueless trinket, but it meant so much to me. My mother had given it to me on the day she died. She had said that as long as I had it, she would always be with me.

'Mother, what should I have done?' I thought to myself as my eye lids slowly slid shut, letting sleep take me.

_Three Weeks Later_

By the third week, I was damn near stir crazy. I wanted out of that castle with a passion. I hated everything about it. I could hardly sleep at night, because of the endless screaming and yelling by the other captive demons as they took their punishment.

I too fell victim to these tortures every so often, mostly for being rebellious or for killing guards. I would also receive beatings whenever Aleera decided to hound me about where you were hiding. She could get no information out of me, that I was proud of.

On top of the noise and torture, the food was horrible. I had pretty much given up on eating all together. The first time they gave me food I was reluctant to even touch it, but ate it anyway. I sure regretted that. At least an hour after eating, I threw up everything currently in my stomach and then some.

That happened a few more times before I just decided to stay away from that crap. You had trained me to go weeks without food, but I had never gone this long. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold out. Yoko…I needed your strength.

And for some reason, I had been having this really odd feeling in my gut. It wasn't the lack of food either. No, this was something else, something to do with you, Yoko. It had started one week after I was caught, and I couldn't get it to go away. Something was wrong, but I just didn't know what. I just hoped to _Kami _that you were okay.

_One Day_

Late one evening, my mind was made up. I had to escape. I was determined to find a way. I sat on my cot, looking out the small barred window of my cell. I was trying to memorize the shifts of the guards patrolling outside. If I could make it there, I'd be home free.

I looked away from the window as I heard the door to my sell swing open. A rather large guard stepped inside. I rolled my eyes when I noticed he was carrying that infernal collar. Damn, I hated those.

"Lady Aleera wants a word with you, thief. Let's go," the guard said, holding up the collar as though I was just gonna walk up and put it on myself.

I crossed my legs and folded my arms over my chest. I then resumed my guard-watching mission. I grunted when the guard suddenly grabbed the base of my ponytail, pulling me off the cot.

"She wants to see you now! So move it!" the guard shouted, releasing my hair. Cursing in my own demonic language, I got to my feet and marched past the guard. I felt him snap the collar around my neck before I was fully out the cell door. I sighed as I was once again led out of the cage.

He brought me to Aleera's throne room again. Though this time, something didn't seem right. She was standing in the center of the room with a scowl on her face. As her eyes fell on me, the scowl deepened. She said nothing as I stood in front of her, and I couldn't help but wonder where this was going.

"Damn you, you retched bat thief! Damn you to hell!" she yelled, anger flooding her features.

'Okaaaaay…' I thought, watching the woman practically shake with rage.

"Why couldn't you just tell me where the fox was hiding! He could've been mine! But noooooooo! You just had to protect your precious friend! Now someone's gotten to him first!" the angry woman ranted.

My eyes widened slightly at her last sentence. What does she mean, "someone's gotten to him first"? Could this have something to do with this odd feeling I've been having?

"What are you talking about, Aleera? What do you mean?" I asked, almost afraid of to what the answer might be.

Aleera gave me a strange look before grinning wickedly. Her anger just seemed to disappear and was replaced with an evil grin, the type of evil grin that a serial killer has when decapitating a small child.

"Hm, it seems news travels slow when you're a prisoner," she chuckled. I growled in impatience.

"What are you talking about! What news?" I asked, this time louder.

"Your friend Yoko was killed two weeks ago," she answered simply.

My eyes widened and my heart jumped into my throat at her statement. Moisture instantly began to blur my vision as my eyes trembled. I growled.

"No, no…I don't believe you, you're lying!" I yelled.

"Am I?" she said as a glass globe appeared in front of me. "This is a Rewinding Orb. It has the power to rewind time and is also able to show scenes from the past. So, if you think I'm lying, please look into the orb, and you will see that I'm not."

I glared at her before gazing into the orb. I gasped at what I saw. I saw you. You were running from a large group of bounty hunters. I watched as you changed into your fox form to try and lose them. It worked. You stopped in a clearing to catch your breath when a single bounty hunter leaped from the bushes and cornered you.

You attempted to run, but didn't get away. The hunter fired an energy blast that earned a direct hit, sending you down. You whimpered as you tried to push yourself up again, but soon fell lifelessly to the ground with a pool of your own blood forming around you.

Tears fell from my eyes as the hunter picked you up by the scruff of your neck and threw you into a bag. He then turned and left the area proudly. The orb then went blank and disappeared.

I hung my head so that my bangs would hide my eyes. I clenched my fists as tears continued to stream down my pale cheeks, splashing onto the hard stone floor below.

"Hard to believe, I know. Even I was shocked," Aleera spoke up.

"Shut up," I said in a low hiss. "You would have done the same thing and you know it."

"Yes, you have a point there," she chuckled evilly. "Though I probably wouldn't have ruined such beautiful fur as his. I would have had him killed in the least bloody way possible, and then made myself a lovely fur scarf to-" she was cut off as I lunged forward, my fangs bared.

I never really liked the taste of blood, but right then, I wanted nothing more than to rip out her heart with my own fangs. My attempt to murder her was cut short when the guard, who had been standing behind me, yanked hard on the chain, stopping me in my tracks.

Though I was stopped, I still had my scythe. I grabbed my pendant, and transformed it into my double bladed _Kusarigama_. I held onto one end while throwing the other at Aleera. A loud _clang _rung through the air as my weapon was batted aside, embedding in the wall a few feet away.

I stared in surprise at what she had done. Her hand and upper arm had somehow shape-shifted into a black, scythe-like blade, much like mine. I growled at how easily she countered my attack as I prepared to try again.

Just as I was about to toss my blade again, a sharp blow connected with my neck, making me dizzy. I dropped my weapon and fell to my knees, trying to fight as I went unconscious. I looked up at Aleera as she kneeled in front of me, taking hold of my chin.

"You must be drowning in frustration and sorrow at how vain your attempts to protect the fox were. You should have just told me where he was. At least that way, you would have gotten a chance to speak with him again before he died," she taunted, letting go of my chin.

I fell completely to the ground and my tears began to return. I knew she was right about one thing: my efforts had been in vain. My last thoughts before going unconscious were, 'I'm sorry, Yoko. I tried.'

_End Chapter Five_

BlackRoseVixen05: Well, there's chapter five! Hope you enjoyed. Please stay tuned, there is much more to come! Like how Kuro manages to escape and just what is with that old woman? Just wait and see! And as always: review! I am requesting ten this time! So, please, please, please review! The fic must live on!


	6. The Truth, part 2

BlackRoseVixen05: Hello, again! The sixth chapter is finally finished! Go me! Lol, anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed! You all made this chapter possible! And now, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

_Chapter Six: Flashback Continues in Kuronue's POV_

When I woke up, I found myself back in my cell. I winced as I sat up. My head was killing me. It hurt worse as I remembered what I saw in the Rewinding Orb. I…I didn't want to believe it, but I knew it was true. You were gone. It was my fault and I knew it. If only I hadn't got caught. I could have been there with you. I could have helped you…somehow.

"Yoko…" I whispered as tears began to fall from eyes again.

I sat upright on my cot, my knees pulled up to my chest, and my arms wrapped around them. I found myself sitting like this a lot since I'd been here. I wrapped my wings around my body, hugging myself. My wings creaked and my bones popped as they moved. It felt like forever since I'd been able to fly, but I didn't care about that now.

I recall not caring about anything anymore. You were all I could think about. I barely noticed my hunger anymore, and I had totally forgotten about my plans to escape. I just wanted to see you again. I sniffled as I wiped away some of the trails of endless tears that covered my face.

"What's the matter?" I suddenly heard a voice ask.

My head snapped up and I looked around. It was the voice of a woman, an old woman. That's when I remembered. I stood up and walked closer to the front of my cage. The old jackal demon was looking at me with curious amber eyes. This was the first time I had even seen her out of her meditative state.

I could tell that she was waiting for me to answer, but I didn't feel like talking right then. So, I sat down near the bars of my cell, leaning against them.

"Well?" she said, continuing to watch me. I just sniffled in response, wiping my eyes again. I heard her sigh.

"Come now, I know you can talk. I've heard you," she said. I still said nothing. She sighed again.

"You know, all the time you've been in here, no matter how harsh the words, no matter how painful the beatings, you've never shed a tear. Why now?" she asked.

"Why do you care?" I answered, my voice raspy from crying.

"I don't…but I might, if you tell me what's wrong," she replied. "Keeping your troubles bottled up inside only prolongs the pain of whatever is upsetting you, but you'd be surprised at how relieved you could feel after expressing your problems to someone who's just willing to listen."

My frown lessened as I turned to face the old woman. She gave me a warm smile, and I blinked a few times before raising my hand to wipe my face once more.

"Now, I may not be able to help you, but I'll listen if you're willing to talk. So…again, what seems to be bothering you?" she asked. I lowered my gaze to the floor then began to explain my entire situation to her, including your "death".

My tears had returned by the time I was finished talking. The woman looked at me with pity in her old eyes as my story drew to a close.

"I'm so sorry about your friend and all that's happened to you. I truly am," she said, quietly. I nodded slowly as I pushed myself away from the bars and sat back against my cot. I reached up and undid my ponytail, letting my hair drape over my right shoulder. I gently grabbed a thick portion of my hair and began to run my fingers through it.

It was something I did whenever I was sad. You remember? Then I heard the woman speak again and I looked up.

"One more question. What's your name?" she asked.

"Kuronue, but…just call me Kuro. Yoko always did…" I said.

"Well, Kuro, I'm going to let you in on a little secret of mine," she said with a grin. My ears perked with curiosity.

"I'm escaping from this place tomorrow night. Why don't you join me?" she said. My jaw damn near dropped at her words.

"How?" I asked, regaining what little composure I had at the moment.

The old jackal chuckled as she stood up and dusted off her dress. She then walked closer to the rear wall of her cell, lifting her cane. She pressed the wooden cane against one of the lower stones and pushed. To my shock, the stone slid back a few inches, revealing moonlight from outside.

"I've been working on removing this stone for quite some time, and I've finally done it," she said, glancing at me. "I was just waiting for the right time to make my escape."

"Why tomorrow?" I asked.

"Because that's when there are only a handful of Aleera's guards are on patrol. The others usually go and get drunk while four or five keep watch," she explained.

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," I told her, moving to the front of my cell again. She turned and smiled at me.

"Yes, and after hearing your story, I'm willing to share my freedom with you," she stated. "Since I'm not as young as I used to be, do you think you can take those guards out when we're making our escape?"

I smirked at her question. I reached around my neck, grasped my pendant, and changed it into my scythe. "Don't worry, I'll take care of them," I said, putting my scythe away again.

"Nice, now the only thing I'm worried about is how you're going to get from your cell to mine," she said, giving me a questioning look. I grinned. My eyes began to glow and my body started to shrink. Within moments, a small black bat fluttered in the air where I had once been sitting.

I easily flew between the bars of my own cell, into hers, and back again. I then returned to my original form and landed softly on my cot. The old woman chuckled.

"Alright then, looks like we're set. Get some sleep, you little rat-bird," she said with another chuckle.

"Hey, what's your name, old woman?" I asked.

"Liza," she answered. I smiled lightly before lying down. Though I was happy about escaping, my heart was still hurting from the news of your capture.

I sighed deeply, ignoring the tears that were threatening to fall. Soon enough I finally drifted off to sleep. Throughout the night, my dreams were plagued by memories of all the fun times we'd had together… and how I much I missed you.

_Next Day_

Evening seemed to take forever, but at last, it came. As darkness fell outside, I changed into my bat form and flew into Liza's cell. I changed back in order to help her push the stone fully out of the wall. I told her to stay put until I had taken out the guards. She agreed.

It took a moment, but I managed to fit my wings through the small opening in the wall. I made much haste as I silently took out the guards, one by one. I even set a few quick traps for any guards who might happen to follow.

I rushed back to where Liza was waiting and signaled that the cost was clear. Liza darted from the castle with speed I was surprised she still had. She was by my side before I knew it.

"Okay, which way?" I asked. She shushed me with her finger before motioning for me to follow her. And with that, we made our escape, disappearing into the night. I just wished that you could have been there…

_Four Hours Later_

After we'd made our escape, Liza led me deeper and deeper into the forest for what seemed to go on forever. We were passing through parts of the forest that I had never seen. After a while, we arrived at a large clearing, carefully hidden by trees. In the center of the clearing sat a small house.

Though still in good shape, it looked as though it hadn't been used in years. I followed Liza as she approached the front door. She then placed her paw-like hand onto the wooden door and chanted something in a language I didn't understand. When she had finished, I noticed that light was shining through the small windows of the house.

"Is this your home?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm. My, it's been a long time," she said. I could tell the last part of her sentence wasn't really directed at me, so I said nothing. I merely nodded. She offered to let me spend the night, if I wanted. I gladly accepted her offer as I stepped inside her home.

Though I was a hell of a lot more comfortable in Liza's home, my mind wandered back to the den you and I shared together. I made up my mind that I would go back there tomorrow. But right now, sleep was the best thing for me.

_Next Morning_

I woke up early the next day, like I always did. Heh, you know that better than anyone. I left Liza's home while she was still asleep and went to the small spring located behind the house to clean up before I leaving. I undressed and washed my clothes in the water, getting rid of the bloodstains. After the stains were gone, I laid my clothes on a rock to dry, then I got into the water.

I reeked with the scent of my own blood and it was starting to annoy me. I washed my body, my wings, and my hair, successfully getting rid of the scent of blood. I got out of the water and redressed.

I raked my fingers through my hair as I walked back to the house, gently working out the few tangles. When I stepped into the hut, Liza was sitting at the table, looking out the window.

"Are you hungry?" she asked me. I pondered that for a moment. I had been starving before, but now….I wasn't really hungry at all. I knew I would have to eat something sooner or later, but I decided on later.

"No. I'm okay," I said, continuing to rake my hands through my hair. It was at that moment when Liza picked up a brush from the table and threw it at me. I smiled lightly as I easily caught it and began to brush my hair.

"So, you're free. What will you do now? Go back to being a thief?" she asked me, turning to look at me. I shrugged my shoulders and I sat down near her.

"No, I don't think so. After all that's happened…it'd probably be best if I just, ya know, disappeared," I said, putting the brush down and pulling my hair back to return it to its ponytail. I then thought of something and I released my hair, letting it fall flat, hanging freely down my back.

I remembered that you always told me that I looked better this way. You told me that whenever you saw me with my hair down. That's why I'm wearing it this way now, in case you were wondering.

"Well, I guess I'll be on my way now," I said, standing from my seat. "Thank you for everything you've done, Miss Liza," I added with a small bow. I then turned and headed for the door.

"Where will you go?" she asked, her eyes following me as I opened the door to leave. I turned and gave her a slight smile of gratitude before answering.

"Nowhere," I said, disappearing out the door, closing it behind me.

_Fifteen Years Later_

After I had left Liza's place, I had indeed went back to our den. I wasn't really surprised when I found that it had been ransacked. All our things had been either stolen or broken. Everything was a mess. And other than a few select things, I was able to save nothing.

I traveled deeper into the Makai Forest, deciding to live in seclusion. I thought it would probably be better if the world continued to think I was dead. I found another den you and I had created once. You always thought it was safer to have two or three dens on hand. Natural fox instinct I guess.

One evening, as I roamed the streets of a near by town, covered by my cloak, I stopped for a drink in a small tavern. I sat quietly in a dark corner of the room as one of the bar girls placed my drink in front of me. As I rose the drink to my lips, a conversation not far from me caused me to pause.

"Did you hear about what happened in the Dark Tournament?" a low class, horned demon said.

"No. What?" said another.

The first demon leaned across the table to whisper to the other. I strained my sonar to hear. Though I wasn't expecting much, I was indeed curious about the Dark Tournament. What I heard next almost made me choke.

"They say…the Spirit Fox is back…." The first demon whispered.

"_The _Spirit Fox….?" The other questioned, wide eyed.

"Yes….Yoko Kurama…." The other said.

As those words left the demon's mouth, I felt my entire form freeze. Getting a hold of myself, I paid for my drink and quickly exited the tavern. I headed back to the den to try and calm down.

'It…can't be true. I saw him die. I saw,' I thought to myself.

As the weeks rolled by, more and more rumors spread that you were still alive, that you had returned. They said that you were attending the Dark Tournament and fighting along side a human who served as Earth's Spirit Detective. They were also saying that you were disguised as a human teenager with long red hair. This I found to be just as hard to believe. So, I chose to ignore the continuing to raise gossip about you.

Late one night and about three days later, I shot awake in my den, breathing hard. I could have sworn that I'd felt your energy, but I just figured it was my mind playing with me and went back to sleep. After the Dark Tournament was over the rumors ended and things were normal again. That is, until about two months later.

I once again heard that Yoko Kurama had been sighted in Demon World. The rumor was that you, along with two humans and a fire demon, had fought against a human who, for whatever reason, wanted to open a tunnel to Human World. I ignored the rumors again.

Then, about another month after that, I began to hear more rumors and gossip. The local demons were saying that a Tournament for control over the Demon World had begun and that you were taking part. I also heard that you were serving as an adviser to someone named Yomi. I vaguely remembered you mentioning someone by that name a long time ago.

So, finally making my mind up, I set out for the Makai Tournament. But by the time I arrived the Tournament had ended and I only caught glimpse of what the demons were claiming to be Yoko Kurama. I was still finding it hard to believe, but I stuck around for a while and watched you all I could as you prepared to leave.

I wanted to talk to you, but what if the rumors were wrong. But what if they were right. If they were, what would I say to you? I'd never been more confused in my life. I watched as you walked into the forest and stepped through I portal, heading back to Human World. Then would have been a good time to talk with you, but…I don't know.

Ever since then, I kept an eye on you every time you and your friends would come to Demon World on a case. I finally did realize that it really was you, but still couldn't bring myself to speak with you. I understand if you're mad about that. I'm sorry.

But I soon finally found a way to pass into Human World without being seen or detected. I'd followed you through the portals you and the others used to return to Human World. I trailed you and your friends around the city as you handled the new case.

Luckily, I managed to slip inside the portal and followed you all back to Demon World. I watched you battle the hornets and saw when you were stung. Though I was nervous to make myself own right then, I wasn't about to let you die. And so, that's when I brought you here, to my den.

_End Flashback and Returning to Normal POV_

Kuronue removed his fingers from his friend's forehead as the glow from his pendant faded away. The komouri then wrapped his arms around the fox demon, pulling him into a gentle hug.

"It's good to see you again, Fox. I really missed you,"he said, quietly. Then, he noticed something. Kurama wasn't hugging him back. In fact, he wasn't even moving. Kuro pulled away to look his friend's face.

Kuronue felt slightly hurt when he saw his friend's expression. The fox's eyes were narrowed in a poisonous glare, a glare Kuro had only known him to give sworn enemies.

"Fox? What's wrong?" Kuro asked with a worried expression. The only answer he got was a stinging slap across the face and a deeper glare from Kurama. His feeling of hurt was now shown clearly on his face as he looked at his friend.

"How dare you…." The fox hissed.

_End of Chapter Six_

BlackRoseVixen05: Wow, that was tense! Man, what's up with Kurama? Why's he upset with Kuro? Check back next time to find out! And I'm requesting another ten reviews before the next update! So, please, leave a review! See ya next time! Oh, and by the way, Happy Holidays!


	7. Forgive Yourself

BlackRoseVixen05: Hello! Welcome to another new chapter of "Watching You". I hope everyone had fun this X-mas and that everyone is doing well. And without further delay, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

_Chapter Seven_

Kuronue stared in shocked confusion at the obviously "pissed off" fox demon. His face still stung from Kurama's slap, and he was sure he had a bruise there by now. There were dozens of reasons why the _kitsune_ could possibly be upset with him, he guessed. He was just wondering which _one_ was it.

"How dare you…" the kitsune repeated, lowering the trembling hand that had just slapped Kuro to the floor. Kurama's glaring eyes soon became those of hurt and sorrow as he looked away from the still stunned _komouri_.

Kuronue watched the fox as he looked away from him. He didn't say anything, hoping that Kurama would explain on his own. The last thing he wanted to do was say something else that might further anger the fox. A few minutes later, Kurama began to speak.

"How dare you…," he began again, "just show up like this," his voice trembling. "After all this time, you just appear from nowhere, acting as though we just saw each other yesterday," Kurama said, his eyes still not meeting Kuro's. In a way, they had seen each the day before, but Kuro thought it best not to speak yet. He just kept quiet.

"All these years, I've mourned for you, cried for you, and you've been alive all this time. That hurts. But what hurts the most is that you're actually happy to see me…even after what I've done to you," the kitsune trailed off, gripping the fur blankets that covered his form.

Kuronue's look of confusion deepened at the fox's last seven words. Why Kurama had slapped him before was pretty clear now, but what did he mean by, "after all I've done to you"? So, this time, he decided to ask.

"What do you mean, "after all you've done to me"?" Kuro asked simply, arching an eyebrow. Kurama glared at him again, but it wasn't the same as before. The glare wasn't angry and the fox's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Don't play dumb with me, Kuronue. You know as well as I do. I ran away," the fox said, lowering his gaze once more, almost shamefully. Kuronue had to think for a moment in order to understand what the kitsune was getting at. Then it hit him.

"You mean, when we stole from Aleera?" Kuro asked, hoping the fox meant something else. No such luck. The fox nodded slowly.

"Yes, it was my fault you were caught. Aleera was clearly after me. You never would have been through all of that if I hadn't left," he said as his body began to tremble.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have gone through all of that, but if you hadn't left, we'd both probably be dead right now," Kuro said, trying to talk sense into his friend.

"Yes, but—" Kurama began, but Kuronue cut him off.

"But nothing, Fox!" Kuro said, firmly. Kurama looked away from Kuro as tears began to make their way down his cheeks. He heard Kuro sigh and felt him rest his hands on his shoulders.

"Fox, look at me," Kuro said, softly. After a moment, Kurama locked eyes with his friend's. And though it was slightly difficult, Kurama didn't look away this time.

"You've got to stop beating yourself up for what happened back then. If you hadn't run when I told you, we would have both been doomed. And I know that it was you Aleera was after, but if all that happening to me is what it took to keep you out of her hands, then I'm glad it did," Kuro said, smiling gently.

Kurama's tears kept falling as Kuro spoke. He leaned forward and rested his head on Kuro's chest, hiding his face. Kuro wrapped his arms around his friend and hugged him tightly, letting him cry against him. Kuro moved his wings forward, wrapping them around Kurama and himself. He understood how Kurama must've been feeling, and he wanted to offer as much comfort as he could.

"There's no need for tears, Fox," Kuro said, pulling slightly out of the hug to look at his friend's face. He brushed some of his friend's tears away with the back of his wing and smiled.

"You and I are together again. Can't we let what happened in the past…stay in the past?" Kuro asked with a pleading look in his eyes and a small smile on his face. Kurama let a faint smile appear on his face before leaning against Kuro again.

"Of course we can," the fox demon whispered into his friend's chest. Kurama clung tighter to the bat demon as his sobs intensified. He was only now realizing how happy he really was to see Kuronue again.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted, and for hitting you. I'm so glad you're here," sobbed the kitsune, still clinging to the bat demon. Kuro smiled down at the redhead, happy that his friend had finally come to his senses.

"It's alright, Fox. No harm done," Kuro said, lifting his friend's face. Kuro picked up a section of one of the blankets and gently wiped the tears from Kurama's still damp cheeks. "No more tears, alright?" Kuro added with a slight grin.

Kurama, for the first time since he'd been in the cave, gave Kuro a true smile and a nod of agreement. As Kuro returned his friend's smile, he noticed the bandages he'd wrapped Kurama's shoulder in were again blood stained. It was time to change them.

Kurama looked at his shoulder, wondering what Kuro found so interesting. Upon seeing the blood stained bandages, Kurama remembered the mission. He knew the others must have been worried sick about him by now.

"What's the matter, Fox? You look pale," Kuro stated, moving behind the kitsune in order to change the bandages.

"Yusuke and the others, I'd completely forgotten. They're probably looking for me," Kurama said, looking out of the mouth of the cave and wincing slightly as Kuro applied medicine to his wound. Kuro chuckled.

"Well, they're just gonna have to keep looking, 'cause you are not leaving this cave until this has healed better," Kuro said, again bandaging Kurama's shoulder. Kurama couldn't hold back a small laugh. This was Kuronue all right.

The fox watched as his partner moved closer to the fire once he was done attending his wound. The bat demon picked a small glass jar sitting near the fire. He'd left it there to get warm. He wrapped a thin cloth around it then offered it to Kurama.

"Here, it's medicine. It'll help your shoulder heal faster. It's gonna put you to sleep, though. So, heh, you better get comfortable," Kuro said as Kurama took the jar from him. Kurama placed the jar to his lips and drank the slightly tart liquid down fast. He then handed the now empty jar back to Kuronue who sat it aside.

Kurama laid back and rearranged the blankets covering him, being careful of his shoulder. Once he was comfortable, he looked over at Kuro who was lying on another mat not too far from him. The komouri's eyes were closed but one eye opened when he felt Kurama's stare.

Kuronue smiled as he sat up and tossed a pillow at the fox. Kurama gasped and ducked his head under the covers just in time to dodge to pillow. He glared at the grinning bat demon before tossing the pillow back at him. Though he wanted, Kuro reframed from throwing the pillow again. He knew the fox needed rest, and he wouldn't get it if they kept clowning around.

"Go to sleep, Fox. That medicine is going to knock you on your ass," Kuro grinned as he lay down again.

"Yes, of course," Kurama stated sarcastically as he too laid down. As soon as his head rested against his pillow, he instantly felt drowsy. The kitsune chuckled. Kuronue had been right about the medicine. He snuggled deeper into the covers as his eyelids became heavier and heavier. He looked to the komouri laying a few feet from him and smiled as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Kuro, before I go to sleep, promise me something," he whispered, his voice tired. Kuro opened his eyes, blinked, then smiled.

"Sure, Fox. What?" Kuro asked, propping his head up with his arm.

"Promise me that this isn't a dream, and that you'll still be here when I wake up," Kurama said with a smile, though his eyes were glazed with moisture. Kuronue smiled, reaching over to ruffle the fox's hair.

"I promise, Fox," Kuro answered, watching as Kurama's eyes closed, his body finally giving in to the medicine's sleeping effect. A small smile played on the kitsune's lips as he just barely heard Kuro's answer.

"Thank you," he whispered, letting the comfortable feeling of sleep take him.

"You're welcome, Fox. Sleep well," the komouri said, his voice barely audible. Kuro laid back and rested his head on his pillow, not planning to go to sleep. He wasn't tired so he decided to keep an eye on his friend throughout the night. He couldn't help but smile as he watched his friend sleep. He was truly happy to be with him again.

'I really missed you, Fox…'

_Later That Night_

As Kuro continued his steady watch over the fox demon, a happy sigh from the redhead caught his attention. The komouri watched his friend curiously as a small smile began to spread on the kitsune's face.

'I wonder what he's dreaming about?' Kuronue thought.

_Enter Kurama's Dream_

In a lush clearing of the Makai Forest, a young Yoko Kurama could be seen at play. He was no more than five or six years old and only two feet tall. He leaped around the clearing with the friskiness of a puppy as he tried desperately to catch a butterfly. He crouched low to the ground as the butterfly landed on a twig.

"I….got'cha!" he yelled, pouncing on the twig. He rolled and scuffled around on the ground, making sure he'd caught the butterfly. After at least five minutes of rolling, he sat up and looked around, blinking. There was no sign of the butterfly anywhere, then he felt a slight tickle on his right ear.

He looked up and sure enough, there sat the butterfly, resting on the very tip of his ear. He growled at the butterfly, though his growl sounded more like a purr. He then swatted it away. He was about to chase after it when a slight rustle in some nearby bushes caused him to pause.

In the bushes not too far away, a pair of wide blue eyes watched as the little kitsune chased the butterfly. The owner of the eyes giggled as the kitsune pounced forward and missed the butterfly by a mile. He stopped and held his breath when the kitsune pup looked in his direction. The little fox began to sniff the ground as he moved closer and closer to his watcher's hiding place.

Yoko sniffed around a few times before he caught an odd scent, one he'd never smelled before. He followed it and it led him to a small bush. He sniffed around the bush then stuck his face inside it and finding himself nose to nose with someone about his age. Blue eyes blinked at him before yelping and tumbling out of the bush.

Yoko ran around to the other side of the bush, curiously wanting to see who had been hiding in it. On the other side of the bush, sat another demon child, though he wasn't sure what kind he was. The child wore black shoes, black pants, a gray shirt, and silver necklace with a red jewel in the middle.

The child had shaggy black hair, pointed ears, and two small wings on his back. The child had wide blue eyes that were closed as he rubbed the back of his head in pain. Yoko inched closer to the other boy and kneeled down next to him.

"Hey, are you okay?" Yoko asked, tilting his head to the side. The other child nodded and grinned at Yoko.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I landed on my head, after all," the boy said, laughing at his own joke. Yoko just blinked and stared at him.

"What's the matter?" asked the winged child, wondering why the little kitsune was staring at him.

"What are you?" Yoko asked bluntly, moving behind the other child and poking one of his wings. The winged demon smiled.

"I'm a bat," he stated proudly, laughing because the kitsune was still poking his wings curiously. The fox pup smiled as he sat down near the bat demon.

"I'm a fox, my name's Yoko. What's your name?" Yoko asked with his little tail wagging back and forth.

"Kuronue," the little komouri replied.

"Ku..ro..nue…? Nah, that's too long. I'm gonna call you….Kuro!" chirped Yoko, his tail beating against the ground as it wagged.

"Okay," Kuro said, smiling.

"Hey, you wanna play with me, Kuro?" Yoko said, jumping onto all fours with his behind in the air and his tail wagging.

"Sure! But, what're we gonna play?" Kuro asked, standing on all fours as well.

"Well, would you like a bath?" Yoko asked, smiling widely.

"A bath?" Kuro said, confused.

"Yup!" with that, Yoko lunged forwards, changing into his full fox form within the blink of an eye. The little fox puppy pounced on Kuro and began to link his face and tickle him with his nose.

Kuro laughed insanely from the kitsune's tickle torture as he tried to get away. Soon, he was finally able to scramble to his feet and run away, the yipping kitsune following close behind him.

The komouri's escape attempt didn't last long as he tripped over a tree root and fell. The kitsune playfully jumped over him and began to lick his face again. Kuro laughed as he tried to hold the little fox back.

The two continued to play for hours on end before finally stopping to rest once the evening set in. Yoko returned to his more human form and the two lay relaxing on a hillside as the twilight in the sky began to shine.

"Hey, Kuro, know what?" Yoko said, turning to look at his friend.

"What?" Kuro replied, returning the fox's gaze.

"You're my new best friend," Yoko announced with a big smile.

"Wow, really? I've never had a best friend before," Kuro said with a laugh.

"Let's be best friends forever, okay?" Yoko said, moving to sit closer to Kuro. Kuro sat up and smiled at his friend.

"Yeah, forever," he said, turning to sit facing the fox.

"Let's make a pact alright? So that we'll never forget," Yoko said, plucking a single blade of grass from the forest floor.

"Okay, but what're you gonna do with that?" the confused komouri asked.

"You'll see. Give me your hand," Yoko said, holding out his hand. Kuro placed his hand in the fox's and yelped when the kitsune cut the palm of his hand with the blade of glass.

"Ow! What'd you do that for?" whined the bat demon as blood gathered in his palm. His confusion grew as the fox did the same to his palm.

The fox then tossed the blade of grass aside and then gripped Kuro's hand tightly, missing their blood. The kitsune pup then began to shake Kuro's hand firmly while saying a speech.

"It's a promise, made forever, can't be broken, no not never, we a-gree! Right?" Yoko said, looking at Kuro, who smiled.

"Yeah, forever," Kuro agreed, returning his friend's handshake and reciting the speech over again. Once he was done, Yoko dried their hands and the two friends fell back onto the grass, silently watching as the sun slowly disappeared from the sky, both knowing that their promise would forever be kept.

_Exit Kurama's Dream_

"Forever…," Kuronue heard the kitsune mumble in his sleep. The komouri instantly had a good idea of what the fox might have been dreaming. He looked down at his hand, smiling as he slowly rubbed his thumb over the small scar in his palm.

"Yeah…forever."

_End of Chapter Seven_

BlackRoseVixen05: Fear not, people! This is NOT the end. I just wanted to get all this stuff between Kurama and Kuro cleared up. But they're not totally out of the woods yet. How has Kuro remained unknown by Spirit World? What about those bugs? And how will Yusuke and the others react to Kuro? Find out next time! I am requesting twelve reviews this time, people! So, please, REVIEW!


	8. The Morning After

BlackRoseVixen05: I AM SO SORRY! (bows down to whatever readers I have left) I know that I have been away for a really long time, but I am back now, I hope. Here's the eighth chapter. Please don't kill me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

_Chapter Eight_

Kurama awoke at around ten AM the next morning, though he was unaware of the time. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around, the memories from the previous day began flooding his mind. He almost panicked when he didn't see Kuro. He lifted his head and looked around a little more. His heartbeat slowed down when he saw his friend sitting out near the mouth of the cave.

He gave a small sigh of relief, _'So, it wasn't a dream,'_ the fox thought to himself as he got up, making his way toward his friend.

Kuro's pointed ears twitched when he heard footsteps approaching him from behind, and he turned to see Kurama. "Morning," he said, smiling and scooting over so that his friend could sit down next to him.

"Good morning," the fox replied, sitting down, "I see you kept your promise," he said in a playful tone.

Kuro grinned at him, "Of course," he said, lightly punching his partner's arm. He then remembered something, "Hey, how's your shoulder?" he asked, looking over the bandages.

Kurama blinked for a moment and moved his shoulder, "Feels just fine," he said, smiling. "The medicine must have worked," he added, flexing his shoulder a little more.

Kuro chuckled, "Was there any doubt in your mind?" he asked, grinning at Kurama.

The fox gave him a look, "Oh, no, of course not!" he said sarcastically, making Kuro laugh even harder. At least his friend was feeling better.

The fox then sighed and stood up, "I really have to get going now. I've got to find the others," he said, looking down at Kuro who still sat on the floor. "You're coming with me, aren't you?" Kurama asked, sounding hopeful.

Kuronue stood up as well, looking down at the fox, something he was still trying to get used to, "Yeah, like I would let you go alone. Besides, we have a lot to catch up on," he said, smiling and poking Kurama's forehead.

Kurama smiled and turned to go and get his shirt. He picked it up and put it on. Kuro had washed it for him. The kitsune sighed, "I wish I hadn't lost the communication mirror. Then I could just simply contact Yusuke," Kurama said. He turned to look at Kuro as he remained standing by the cave opening.

The bat demon blinked and tilted his head to the side, "Communication mirror?" he asked. Kuro reached into his vest and pulled out an object, "This thing?" he asked, blinking.

Kurama smiled and nodded, "Yes, that's it! I lost it when I was attacked by the wasps." Kurama took the mirror as Kuro offered it to him. "Where'd you find it?" he asked.

"I found it laying underneath a tree close to where you collapsed," the bat demon said, "I wasn't sure what it was, so I picked it up to investigate later. I forgot I had it, though," he explained, shrugging.

Kurama nodded as he listened to Kuro, at the same time he tried to get the communication mirror to work, "Hello? Yusuke? Can you hear me?" he said, speaking into the device. Kuro watched over his shoulder as he worked.

The small screen was blurred and clouded by static, but Kurama did manage to hear Yusuke's voice. Unfortunately, he was unable to understand what the spirit detective said. Sighing once again, the fox demon closed the compact, "Oh, well. I suppose we'll just have to find them ourselves," he said to Kuro, who nodded.

After gathering their things, Kuro cast a spell to hide the cave. The two demons then set out to locate Yusuke and the gang. They walked in silence, the quiet only being broken when Kurama would occasionally yell for the others.

After looking a while longer, the kitsune turned and spoke to Kuronue, "You know, something's been on my mind about this case," he confided to his partner.

The bat demon arched an eyebrow, "Yeah? What is it?" he asked curiously.

"I may not be correct, but I believe these strange insect demons might have something to do with Aleera," he said. "I mean, why is it that the insects only attack me?" he asked.

Kuronue nodded, folding his arms comfortably behind his head, "I've kind of been thinking the same thing. The insects appeared when I started looking for you again. You think they could be watching us somehow?" he asked, glancing at the fox.

Kurama sighed and looked at the ground, "I'm not sure…" he said, his head beginning to hurt from the massive amount of questions that still hung in his mind, like the sword of Damocles, questions about the case.

The fox demon's eyes widened. He sensed Hiei's energy coming towards them extremely fast, directly towards Kuronue. Turning swiftly, he pushed Kuro out of the way in the nick of time, resulting in several strands of the fox's crimson hair to being cut off by Hiei's sword.

"Hiei!" the fox said as the shorter demon moved to stand protectively in front of him, his sword held out towards Kuronue. The bat demon looked very confused at this point.

"Oh, yeah! I remember you," Kuro said, taking a few steps towards Hiei, but yelping as Hiei lunged towards him, trying to stab him. "Whoa, hold on, Pal!" the bat demon said, dodging Hiei's attacks.

Kurama was actually laughing a little at the scene before him. "Hiei, calm down! He's not an enemy!" Kurama yelled to the smaller demon, who had pinned Kuro to a tree.

Hiei growled, still not releasing his hold on the sweatdropping Kuronue, "Well, who is he, then?" Hiei snarled, glaring at Kurama over his shoulder.

Kurama chuckled. "He's Kuronue," he said simply, trying not to laugh at the slightly confused look on Hiei's face. "It's a long story," the kitsune added, shrugging softly.

"Hn," was Hiei's only reply as he released the now grinning komouri. He sheathed his sword and turned his back to Kuronue. "The others are looking for you," the fire demon snapped.

"And you weren't?" Kuro chimed in, looking down at Hiei, who glared at him.

Kurama, shaking his head, looked at Hiei. "Do you know where the others are?" he asked him. Hiei nodded and motioned for Kurama and Kuronue to follow him.

Kuronue began to snicker when they started walking again. "So, Fox, will the others be four feet tall and wielding sharp objects, too?" the bat demon teased, grinning and snickering even though Kurama hit him to shut him up.

Hiei growled and mumbled something that sounded like "Baka komouri" under his breath. Though this didn't faze Kuro, of course, he just continued to snicker and chuckle as they walked.

_With Yusuke_

The rest of the gang had stopped for a rest in a small clearing. Yusuke stood, looking around, Xandra had sat down on a rock, and Kuwabara had collapsed on the ground.

The Spirit Detective sighed, "Damn it all. Now Hiei's missing too," he said.

"No one is missing, Detective," came the cold voice of Hiei as he and the other two demons approached the team. "In fact, I believe I found more than we wanted," he added, leering at Kuro.

Yusuke blinked at Hiei's words, and he gaped when he caught sight of Kuronue. The picture from Kurama's room entered his memory, "I-It's you! That guy, from the picture! B-But you're dead!" the detective stammered, pointing at Kuronue, who blinked in wonderment.

"Huh? Picture? Do I know you?" Kuro asked Yusuke, tilting his head to the side and then looking at Kurama. "Do I know him?" he asked the kitsune.

Kurama chuckled and looked up at Kuro, "You should. You've only been following us for three days. This is Yusuke Urameshi, the Spirit Detective of Earth," the kitsune said to Kuro. He then looked at the stunned and still pointing detective. "Yusuke, this is Kuronue, my old partner in crime," the fox said.

"Hello!" Kuro greeted happily, though the others all gave him strange looks.

Kurama chuckled, "Yeah, once again, it's a very long story," he said, "I'll explain some other time," he added with a light smile. The others all knew very little about Kuronue, but Kurama decided to tell them a bit more about him later.

"Actually, I'd prefer if you were to explain it now," said the voice of Koenma. The group looked to the sky to see the ghostly holograph of Koenma in his toddler form. "You two are in some deep doo-doo, and I hope you know it!" the little ruler said, pointing to Kurama and Kuronue. "I would like to see you all in my office now!" he screeched, teleporting them all to the Spirit World before anyone had the chance to protest.

_In Spirit World_

The group appeared, not five seconds later, inside Koenma's office. Yusuke and Kuwabara landing flat on their behinds, "Damn it!" Yusuke cursed, rubbing his throbbing tailbone. Koenma, however, paid him no attention.

Koenma looked directly at Kuronue and Kurama, "You two were in this together, weren't you? And don't lie to me," the little ruler said, frowning at them both. His frown deepened when they seemed to have no idea what he was talking about. "The recent thefts in Spirit World…," he said, referring to the group's previous mission.

After what seemed like a long moment of silence, Kuronue sighed and stepped forward, "Yes, I am behind them, but Kurama had nothing to do with it," the bat demon confessed, his gaze lowering to the floor.

Kurama looked at his partner, confused, "Kuro? You stole those things?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Kuronue nodded, "Yes, I needed the power of the items to hide myself and mask my energy while I searched for you in Human World. Without them, Koenma's troops surely would have found me," he explained. Kurama nodded slightly in understanding.

The bat demon then turned his attention back to Koenma, "I have no use for the items anymore. I'll be more than happy to return them," he said with a truthful look in his indigo eyes.

Koenma sighed, "Still, I cannot let you go unpunished for your crimes," he said, sounding serious.

Kuro nodded sadly, "I understand," he said, but his ears perked when he heard Yusuke speak.

"Hey, Koenma, what if he made up for it by helping us with this new case of ours?" the Spirit Detective asked with a small grin forming on his smug face. "Besides," Yusuke continued, "it isn't like he hurt anyone…did you?" he said looking over at Kuro, who shook his head "No".

"Well, there you go! So, how 'bout it, pacifier breath?" grinned the detective. Koenma was silent as he listened to Yusuke speak, but he frowned again at the "pacifier breath" comment.

Koenma noticed the pleading look on Kurama's face, and he sighed, "Very well," more to Kurama than to anyone else. Koenma had told Kuronue to keep the items he had stolen until the case was over. They would help him hide from humans. The bat demon had agreed happily.

"Yeah!" cheered Yusuke, high-fiving Kuwabara and Xandra. Kuronue and Kurama each smiled and nodded their heads as a silent "Thank you". Kurama also made a mental note to thank Yusuke later, as well.

_In Human World_

After being dismissed from Koenma's office, the group was sent back to Demon World for several hours of scouting. The job was rather easy with Kuro around. He was able to see things from the air, and the group could immediately eradicate any stray insect demons.

When they were done, the group was ready to return to Human World. It was nightfall by the time they made it back to Human World. They said their goodbye's to each other upon arrival, each quite ready for a good night sleep. Save Hiei, of course. He rarely slept at all.

_At Kurama's Human Home_

The fox demon had gotten back home and was quite glad to be there. He plopped down on his bed once inside his room. Though he didn't stay down for long, as he had neglected to undress and put on his pajamas. He had also omitted some other nightly duties.

While brushing his teeth, Kurama heard the glass balcony door slide open, "You in here, Fox?" came the whispering voice of Kuronue.

"Yes, I'll be out in a moment," the kitsune called from the bathroom, wiping his face. When he stepped out into his bedroom, he found Kuro sitting on the edge of his bed.

His partner had found his old hat and was staring down at it, looking thoughtful, "It's been ages since I saw this old thing," the bat demon murmured, a small smile on his face.

Kurama smiled and sat down next to him, "I found it the day after you had been captured. It's pretty much the only thing that's kept me going since then," he admitted. "I never had more love for that hat until it was all I had left of you."

Kuronue chuckled and bopped Kurama on the head with his hat, "Heh, I guess this hat is lucky after all," he said with a small laugh.

"You going to start wearing it again?" the fox asked curiously.

Kuro shrugged, "I dunno. I mean, I've found you again. How much luckier could I be?" he said, smiling as he put the hat on Kurama's head. "You can keep hanging on to it for me. I'll make up my mind sooner or later."

The fox demon smiled and nodded, standing up and placing the hat back on his dresser. He chuckled when he noticed the picture on his desk, picking it up and bringing it to Kuronue. The komouri smiled.

"I take it this is the picture Urameshi was talking about?" he asked, smiling down at the simple, but beautiful drawing. Kurama nodded.

"Heh, I missed you, too, Fox," he said, smiling as he handed the picture back to him. Kurama put the drawing back on his desk and then yawned.

Kuronue chuckled, "Get some rest, Kitsune. I'll see you in the morning," he said, standing from the fox's bed and heading back towards the balcony doors.

"Where are you going? You're going to sleep outside?" he questioned, getting into bed.

Kuro nodded, "Yeah, don't wanna frighten that human family of yours," he said, pausing to look at Kurama over his shoulder.

"They're out of town until tomorrow. You could sleep inside if you wish," the fox said. "Our guest room is vacant."

Kuro grinned and nodded, "Alright, offer accepted," he said, going over to the kitsune's bedroom door, "And where might I find this guest room?" he asked.

"Down the hall and to the left," Kurama told him, laying down and covering himself with his quilt.

Kuro nodded and saluted the fox, "G'night, Kurama," he said, going out the door and closing it gently behind him.

Kurama smiled and closed his eyes, "Night, Kuro," he whispered before soon falling asleep. This was the second most peaceful sleep he had ever gotten since Kuro was taken from him. But now he could rest easy, knowing his friend was near.

_End of Chapter Eight_

BlackRoseVixen05: And there you have it, people, chapter eight. I hope you all can forgive me for taking so long to update. Lots of things have been going on in my life and I was just worn out from them. And I would like to say "thank you" once again to Saphira112 for getting me motivated again. I promise you all I will try to do better from now on. Thank you, and I would like fifteen reviews before the next update. I would just like to know that I still have all my most valued readers. Thanks again.

- BlackRoseVixen05


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